Parents turn to baby names like Faith and Hope to get them through uncertain times

Parents are turning to virtuous baby names such as Faith and Hope to boost their moods during turbulent and uncertain times, a study has found.

The trend was started by Kim Kardashian and Kanye West who named their son Saint following his birth in 2015, sparking a revival in the traditional charity-style names as young parents copy with their own tots.

Dubbed ‘modern virtue names’, monikers rising in popularity include Felicity, meaning good fortune and happiness, and Verity which stands for truth and honesty.

Boy’s name Frank is also popular as more than a quarter (26%) of expectant parents say they are considering a ‘modern virtue’ name for their baby.

Baby name experts say choosing one of these names is a way for millennial mums and dads to signal their disapproval at the tough economic and political conditions and push for more positive times ahead.

The annual Baby Name Predictions report from parenting site ChanneMum.com - which first identified the rise of the name Corbyn - doesn’t list the top 100 most popular names but instead identifies hottest rising trends that will be among the most popular names in three to five years.

It found that space-themed names look set to be the most popular among parents-to-be.

Inspired by British astronaut Tim Peake’s epic International Space Station mission, 51 per cent of expectant parents have space-related names on their list of potential names, including Luna, Stella, Nova and Orion.

And while the fashion for gender neutral names is continuing, a fresh phenomenon for ‘gender crossover’ names will emerge in 2018.

Among the most popular choices are Teddy, Robin and Noel for girls, alongside Carol and Aubrey for boys.

Almost two in five (37%) young parents are considering using a gender crossover name, making it the third most popular trend for 2018.

And a third of mums and dads (31%) are even considering ‘bad boy and girl’ names inspired by gangster chic, ranging from Ronnie and Reggie to Harley, Quinn and Kato - currently among the most popular boys’ names in the US.

The study of 1,517 expectant parents found bird names including Wren, Phoenix, Paloma and even Birdie are taking flight, especially with young parents, where almost a third (28%) are considering a feathered name for their baby.